Card required for self-checkout

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Giant Eagle supermarket chain is requiring customers in self-checkout lines to use the store’s loyalty card, known as an Advantage Card.

Giant Eagle confirmed it recently began using technology that requires the cards.

By doing so, Giant Eagle is ensuring customers receive discounts, cash register coupons and gasoline discounts at the chain’s GetGo convenience stores. But making customers use the cards also enables the store to follow up with customers who had a problem with a transaction — such as paying the wrong price for an item — or an issue with how they paid.

Maine Forest Ranger Thomas Liba says as far as he can tell, the culprits are taking the sap home and boiling it down to make syrup for personal use. But they’re damaging valuable maple trees and dissing landowners who haven’t given them permission to be on their prop